Course catalog

When designing light-frame  wood buildings, it’s essential to consider the flexibility and deflection characteristics of horizontal diaphragms, which can have a critical impact on a structure’s performance, safety, and serviceability. This webinar examines how the classification of diaphragms ...

Designers of modern low-rise and mid-rise multi-family buildings often face challenges due to fewer opportunities for shear walls at exterior wall lines (e.g., larger window openings), increased building heights, and multiple vertical and horizontal offsets in the diaphragms and shear walls. ...

This course examines how hybrid mass timber systems can support resilient multi-family affordable housing. Attendees will review design and construction approaches used to meet high-performance building goals, including Zero Carbon Certification (by Living Future) and Passive House certification ...

Learn how design teams can integrate acoustic design to create high-performance wood buildings that also enhance the health and well-being of occupants. Noise has a great impact on the built environment and its occupants, with numerous exterior and interior sources. Acoustic design in wood ...

This session examines the emerging application of mass timber in data centers and similar building typologies, with designers at the forefront of this innovation sharing insights about the benefits, challenges, and design opportunities. The discussion will explore how mass timber can offset some ...

This course provides an in-depth analysis of fire risks and hazards in construction sites, using real-world case studies, including the Southpark Construction Site Fire. Participants will learn about the critical role of NFPA 241 in preventing fire-related disasters and how proper planning, ...

Light-frame wood buildings primarily rely on wood-sheathed shear walls and diaphragms to resist wind and seismic forces. Modern architectural layouts often introduce offsets, irregular geometries, and varied framing conditions that complicate load paths. In these structures, establishing clear ...

This course navigates the design steps for mass timber elements through the National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS) and Fire Design Specification for Wood Construction (FDS). The presentation will outline key design checks for mass timber elements—covering panels, beams, and ...

The complexities of modern day architectural design often necessitate irregular structural layouts with multiple offset roof and floor diaphragms, and walls. Although codes and standards recognize and address these situations, limited commentary and/or examples have been provided that clearly ...